Vending machine



March 13, 192s.

E. W. PETERSON VENDING MACHI NE Filed Feb. 5. 1927 o( LQ W i 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 13, 1928 W. PETERSON VEND'ING MACHINE s. 1927 2 sheets-511%:` 2

Filed Feb.

arr

` invent-oas:

1577285? 'feerson,

Patented Mar. 13, 1928. i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VENDING ltIA-GHZINSIEJ.

Application led February 5, 1927;.. SerialV N'o.. 166,161?.

My invention relatesr inoro particularly to machines for vending newspapers, niagazines, and like articles ot merchandise, and my object .is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive inachine oi' this character which, is positiv-e in operation and not likely to get out oit' order.

One lieature of the invention resides in a conveyer which operates by the force of gravity in successively carrying the articles in position for delivery', thereby avoiding the necessity ot springs or other mechanisms `for actuating said conveyer. y

Other features will hereinafter appear 5 and in order that the invention may be fully understood reference will now be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a broken vertical section of the machine on line 1-1 of F ig. 2,. with some of the newspaliers rcnloved.

Fig. 2 is a. broken vertical cross section of the machine on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an irregular vertical section on line 3-31 oil Fig. 1 showing a portion ot the coin controlled mechanism.

In carrying` ont the invention, I employ a case 2; provided at .its upper portion with a lid 4f and at its lower forward portion with ,a delivery chute The lid 4 is operably connected at its rear portion to the case 2 by a hingeV 8 and provided at its forward portion with a. hasp 16 adapted to be secured in position over a staple 12 by suitable means such as a padlock 14. i5 16 designates a pair of rails which are secured to the inner side walls of the case 2 and inclined forwardly and downwardly towards the delivery chuteV 6. y

118 designates a conveyer adapted to travel L0 downwardly upon the rails 16 by the force ot gravity and carry the newspapers A to ward the delivery chute 6. The conveyer18 consists of an apron 20, a series of wooden or other suitable slats 22 secured to said l5 apron 20, and straps 24 secured at their lower ends to the lower end ot the apron 20. The upper ends of the apron 2O and the straps 24 are secured to the transverse portion 26 of a follower 28 embodying one or i0 more brackets 30 which add rigidity to said follower. Each slat 22 is provided with pins 32, which project above the upper surfaces ot the straps 24 and prevent the newspapers A from accidently sliding towards the delivery chute 6.

Abutnients 34, preferably in the forin of` two pins,A coact` with` the pins 32- in reventc ing thenewspapers. from. accidenty slip.- ping downwardly upon the straps 24. The pins .34 project` vertically tromy the,l top.` of a guide 86 extending across they lower por tion of' the case 2; and located at the rear of the delivery chute 6 and in frontv oi` the pins 82. The guide- 36Y lifts.. the lower por.- tions off the straps 24, together with the successi-ve newspapers A, above the pins; 32, and has vertical channels 88; through which said straps 24 pass downwardly into a. pocket 40, wh-ich depends, from the lower front portion of the case 2 tor the; reception oi the conveyor 1.8 as the same moves down-` wardly. K

42 designates ai pair of litting members for raising the newspapers A one by one above the abutment 34 andiA dropping them `intothe delivery chuteY 6wherethey dee scend` upon a tray 44 fixed to the lower orward portion of the pocket 40. The litt.- isngf rn'ieinbers. 42. are 'pivotall-y suspended from a crank 46, which is fixed to a. rockshalit 48 journaled in bearings` 50. and; having one` end extending through a compartment 52 fixed to one side of the case 2'.. The outer end ot the rock-shaft 48, is provided with and actuated by a handle 54, tliemovt.`

nient ot which is limited hy a segment.. 56

secured tothe adjacent side ot: the comparty Inent 52.

58, designates. releasing elements prefer-l ably in the` forni of pins projecting rear wardly from the innerportion of the front wallV of the case 2or they purpose of pushing each paper from the, litting members The compartment] 52 is provided at its upperportion with a coin slot 60 which. c0111- niunicates with a stationary upper section 62`otI a coin chute including said stationary section 62 and a swingable lower section 64, which latter is mounted upon pivots 66 and extends downwardly in the rear of a front arin 70 ixedly mounted upon a hub 72 provided with a rear arm 74 and a counterweight 76.

The rock-sha1ft 48 is provided with a stop 78 adapted to coact with a lock 80 pivot-ally connected at one end to the rear portion of the coin chute section 64 and slidably mounted at its opposite end in a guide 82.

In the practical operation of the machine the conveyor 18 is secured in its uppermost position by means oi a fastening device 84,

which is engaged in a loop 86 projecting inwardly from the rear wall of the case 2. The conveyer 18 is then loaded with newspapers, after which the fastening device 81k is released and the lid t is secured in closed position by means of the padlock lil. When a customer desires a newspaper, he inserts the proper coin such as B in the slot 60, from which it passes downwardly through the coin chute sections 62 and 64 and comes to rest upon the hub 72. The customer then grasps and pushes the handle 54 backwardly, which operation carries the tront arm into engagement with the coin B, and through the intermediary ot' the latter swings the lower section ot the coin chute rearwardly. As the lower section 54 swings rearwardly, it carries the lock out ot the path olf the stop 78, permitting the shaft 48 to be rotated by the handle 54 until the lifting members 4Q carry the .adjacent newspaper upwardly over the abutment 34 and forwardly against the releasing elements 5S, which cause the newspaper to lall through the chute G and onto the tray al where it is accessible to the customer, who then releases the handle 54. As the handle is released the weight ol" the lifting members 42, the crank 16, and the eounterweight TG restores the rock-shaft 4S and the handle 5l to initial position. As the arms 70 and 7 are restored to normal position by the shaft 4S the arm 70 releases its pressure upon the coin B which then drops into a cash drawer 86 at the lower portion of the compartment 52, and the arm 74; restores the swingable section (il and the lock 80 to normal position.

lVhen a newspaper is removed from the conveyer 18, as above stated, said conveyor moves downwardly by the force of gravity and carries the following newspaper against s the abutment 34:. The foregoing operation may be repeated upon insertion of proper coins until all of the newspapers have been sold.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that I have provided a vending machine embodying the advantages above pointed out, and while I have shown a preferred embodiment of the invention I reserve all rights to such changes and modifications as properly tall within the spirit and scope ot the invention as claimed.

l-laving thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to .secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. ln a vending machine, a case having a delivery opening, a flexible inclined conveyer arranged to carry articles ol` mcr chandise downwardly towards said opening, and a pocket in the lower forward portion ol the case l'or receiving the conveyor.

2. ln a vending machine. a case having a delivery opening. an apron arranged to travel downwardly towards said opening, a series ol' slats secured to said apron, straps' extending over said slats and secured lo the upper and lower portions ot the apron, pins projecting trom said slats l'or holding arti' cles ot merchandise upon .said slats and the straps, and guide means for causing the lmrer portions ol the straps to carry the lowermost articles free olf said pins.

Il. ln a vending machine, a case having a delivery opening, an inclined conveyor ar ranged to carry newspapersv downwardly towards said opening, an abutment near the lower portion ot' said conveyor l'or checking the downward movement ol,I the newspapers. and means lor lifting the newspapers one at a time over said abutment, and pins supported by the l'ront` wall of the case tor rcleasing the newspapers l'rom said lil'ting means.

l. In a vending machine, a case having a dcliveiwT chute, a tlexible inclined conveyer arranged to carry newspapers downwardly towards said chute, an abutment. located near the chute l'or checking the downward movement ol the newspapers, means `l'or lifting the newspapers one by one over said abutment, and stationary releasing means tor discngaging each newspaper l'rom said lilting means .so that it may enter the di livery chute.

In test imony whereof l aflix my signature.

ERNEST lV. P'E'VIRSON. 

